Global vaccine program COVAX low on funds, seeks $5.2B

GENEVA (AP) — The global initiative intended to share coronavirus vaccines equally between rich and poor countries is asking for $5.2 billion in funds to be able to keep buying doses. The UN-backed program known as COVAX has delivered just over 1 billion doses since shipments started nearly a year ago. The initial goal was to deliver 2 billion doses by the end of 2021, but COVAX’s lack of cash when vaccine deals were being made gave it a late start, and most of the doses have gone to wealthy nations who locked in contracts. Seth Berkley, the CEO of global health organization GAVI, says COVAX is a very important program but right now it is “basically out of money.”